Q. A realtor told this to my fiance on a house. Rather than going ahead and paying an inspector, what does this mean? What does "new plumbing" entail?

A. Well it depends on WHAT he told her....if he said new plumbing then he probably means new water AND drain lines......that would be a repipe of both systems.....but if he said new kitchen lines or bathroom lines then he meant just that......find out EXACTLY what her told her....NOW after saying that i would STILL get the inspector bacause he doesnt just check plumbing...he looks at the WHOLE house.....the framing and support.....electrical.....plumbing....foundation......roof......walls....EVERYTHING....so i would definitely get the inspector that way u will know everything thats needs fixing and not just the plumbing

Q. I once saw in a magazine that you can add plumbing without cutting into the slab. Yet I have not been able to find anything else on it. It was in a contractors magazine. If anyone knows anything please let me know.

A. They make rear discharge toilets that would allow the drain to be run thru a wall to the main. Don't know but they may make a set-in-place toilet and pump unit that would provide an above-the-slab forced main to the main. Check with a quality plumbing supply house. The next answer mentions a sewer sump pump but that is a big job [think a 3' dia. hole about 3' below the slab for the sump] and would involve cutting some concrete. but it would allow you to locally set fixtures and pump up to the sewer main, so it wouldn't mean cutting a long line.

Q. We have a gas water heater and we would like to have an electric w.h. instead. How hard would it be to switch, and what do we need to do to change it over?

A. Its not too difficult... You'll need to run a circuit to the new heater, from your panel box...so that means wire, and a circuit breaker. (it should be on a circuit by itself, straight from the panel box, not run from something else). Plumbing wise, you'll just need some standard fittings/adapters to connect to your existing plumbing....for example, you may need to extend the plumbing (or cut it back) to match the connector on the water heater. You'll also need a cap on the gas line. (I'd just tape over the exhaust stack opening from the old heater with aluminum tape, or duct tape) Have Fun

Q. I have a shower and the plumbing runs up from the floor. On the wall the containing the plumbing, on the opposite side, is an electrical switch and outlet. What is the minimum safe distance between the electrical lines and the plumbing so that a plumbing leak doesn't result in someone being killed or hurt?

A. There is no NEC (national electric code) restriction on this. The supply pipes and electric wire and box could actually all be on the same stud.

Q. I have a problem. I always flush my cig butts down the toilet and now there is a plumbing problem in my apt building. They will be turning off the hot water for repairs. Will It get traced back to me?

A. Only cold water it routed to the toilet. Flushing drains the water to the sewage pipe. Hot or cold bears nothing to this, its all sewage.

A. I looked into this too and this is what I found. Yes, you can do plumbing but you cant certify it. In other words, you can build the whole plumbing, but then you will need a licensed plumber to come over and check it out and do all the peperwork. For example, you cannot install a boiler of a furnace, only licensed people can do that, but you can set all the pipes that go from the furnace to the house. If you have a freind and hes a licensed plumber, you are all set. Ask him if he would certify your work for some money in exchange. The whole job needs to be certified before home inspection comes.

Q. According to my previous research about ponds, I will need an electricity and plumbing source for a pump in a pond. I would like my pond to be around 100 gallons maximum. So how difficult is it to bring electricity and plumbing to my desired location? Thanks-- any help will work!

A. I have 2 ponds, both over 100 gallons, 40' from my house, and the only plumbing I have ever needed is in my outside water faucet, with my hose attached. If you want electricity, I paid a handy man $300. He dug the trench, laid the conduit, wired the box and tapped into my household circuit.

Q. Wanted to see rough price for adding plumbing for dishwasher , there are hot and cold pipes and a drain pipe right below in basement about 5 feet from dishwasher and can this plumbing come up behind the dishwasher? The sink is to far away to tap off and I will be doing the electrical

A. I think you already know how to do this job. All you need to do is go to the hardware store and price it out yourself. I installed mine in much the same way bringing all my lines up through the floor behind the dishwasher. It wasn't to expensive. Good luck